Frozen Russian Assets: Europe Rejects US Control Plan – FT
In brief: The Trump administration proposed placing part of Russia’s frozen sovereign assets in Europe under Washington’s oversight to help revive peace negotiations, according to the Financial Times. European representatives rejected the idea. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised the proposal during talks involving Ukrainian and European officials in Miami, where control of the funds became another point of disagreement.
A Russian national tricolor flag flies atop the Russian Central Bank headquarters in downtown Moscow on February 13, 2026. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)
Report: Arab states poured nearly $15 billion into US universities
New data show Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have funneled billions into American higher education over five decades, much of it undisclosed, raising concerns of foreign influence
Daniel Edelson, New York | published: 09.05.25 | 08:51
Witkoff and Kushner keep their teams small when negotiating major business deals and approach the world stage in a similar way. One of the administration officials noted that real estate deals begin at the top with a select few who have a vision.
“Then after that comes constructive managers and coordinating with engineers and architects and so forth,” the first official continued. “So I just think that we’re very good at understanding what the complicating features of a deal are. We talk about it, we address it, then we figure out how we’re going to solve it.”
Global negotiations, like development deals, have “similar rhythms for transactions,” said the second administration official.
“Some of these conflicts, they all move the same way,” said the first administration official, noting that the “game plan” receives input from Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and chief of staff Susie Wiles. There is also a working relationship with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine.
“We’ve had people say, ‘How can you have such a small team?’ Well the beginning of the decision-making here on the game plan doesn’t require a big group,” the first administration official said.
Witkoff and Kushner’s one-size-fits-all approach was most evident last month in Geneva when the duo met with the Ukrainians, the Russians and the Iranians in one day, attempting to secure separate deals to end the four-year war in Ukraine and halt Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
